


Light Me Up With That Smile

by dozierosieposie



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Acts of Kindness, Crushes, Dorks in Love, Fairy Lights, Falling In Love, Gen, M/M, Nyctophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 08:45:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15482037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dozierosieposie/pseuds/dozierosieposie
Summary: It’s not like Nursey asked for this.He couldn’t explain why, it was something he’d just never been able to shake. If there wasn’t a light on in the room, Nursey didn’t sleep.All this was conveniently forgotten when Nursey agreed to share a room with William fucking Poindexter.





	Light Me Up With That Smile

**Author's Note:**

> [this post](https://omgpoindexter.tumblr.com/post/176365506518/nursey-is-scared-of-the-dark-so-dex-buys-fairy) inspired me to write a thing  
>  just enjoy the dorks falling in love with each other honestly

It’s not like Nursey asked for this.

He couldn’t explain _why_ , it was something he’d just never been able to shake. _There’s nothing to be afraid of,_ his mum would say. _You’re a big boy now,_ his grandfather would chide, _it’s time to stop being afraid of the dark._ No matter what people said, it didn’t change anything. If there wasn’t a light on in the room, Nursey didn’t sleep. He’d lie awake, still with fear, staring at the silhouette of the trees waving outside his window. Nothing matters except that it’s dark, a petrifying stillness and silence that isn’t there when the lights are on.

All this was conveniently forgotten when Nursey agreed to share a room with _William fucking Poindexter_.

He’s never shared a room before, mainly for this reason. He isn’t sure how he could possibly forget. Maybe because rent was cheaper, maybe because Dex was on the floor and Nursey was ready to mess with him. Whatever the case, he was definitely not thinking properly when he agreed to this.

Now its moving day, and Nursey is Not Chill.

Dex is whistling as he lugs boxes two boxes at a time up the stairs. When Nursey makes it upstairs, he’s putting clothes away in one of the drawers, and Nursey thinks he hears the tune of “Old McDonald”. This guy is weird. But he supposes his cheerfulness is a good sign, perhaps an indication that he’s feeling better about the rooming situation than he was in June. Maybe they can get through the year without tearing each other’s heads off. Maybe.

“Hey,” Dex says as Nursey comes in, “Mind if I take the bottom bunk?”

Nursey just nods and sits down at the bookshelf to unload his books. He doesn’t look at Dex, but he hears a slight frown in his voice as he speaks again.

“You okay man? I promise rooming with me isn’t gonna be _that_ bad.”

“What?” Nursey turns, lost in thought. “Oh, nah man, you’re good. Just thinking.”

“’Bout what?”

“Nothing much,” he lies, “What Bitty’s making for dinner.”

Dex nods like the answer satisfies him. He goes back out to get another box and Nursey continues shelving his books. He usually has a system – stacks the books by colour or size or by how much he loves them, but this time he doesn’t even look at how he’s stacking them. He’s too busy wondering how he can possibly get out of going to bed tonight.

 _What, are you gonna find some excuse not to sleep in your room for the entire year, Nurse?_ He berates himself. _Don’t be a moron. Stop being so fucking_ scared.

Needless to say, the internal criticising does fuck all.

Dex is surprisingly cheerful all evening. Nursey hates it. He wishes that Dex would be a dick, so he could get mad at him and storm away, give him an excuse not to sleep in their room tonight. He scolds himself every time the thought pops up. Dex is being cool for once, which is more than can be said of Nursey.

He’s glad it’s till summer – dark won’t fall until late. He can sit in the kitchen and laugh with his friends for longer tonight, he can pretend it’s this bright everywhere and it always will be.

But when Bitty announces bedtime because they start practice in the morning, Nursey’s heart is surrounded by ice, seeping into his bones and bringing in shivers. He avoids making eye contact with Dex; he knows all his friend will see is terror.

He changes in the bathroom, grabbing a book as he makes his way to bed, but he doesn’t even look at which one he’s picked up. He pretends to read as Dex gets into bed, prolong the inevitable until-

“Hey, Nurse? You mind if I turn off the light? I’m pretty goosed.”

There it is.

“S-sure, bro, go ahead.” Dex doesn’t seem to notice the quaver of his voice, and Nursey is thankful. He can’t imagine the chirps if the boys found out that _Nursey’s afraid of the dark_.

Dex jumps out of bed and flicks the switch at the wall. Instantly, the room is plunged into darkness. There it is. The stillness, the silence. Nursey can hear Dex already snoring. Nothing moves in the dark. Nursey is alone.

He tries to keep his breathing steady, but his exhales are coming out harshly, his inhales barely suck in any air. He can’t see his hands in front of his face. He shakes, gripping his arms, sinking his nails into his shoulders. He’s so _cold,_ but he’s sweating. His duvet is smothering, weighing on his chest like wet cement.

He doesn’t know how long he lies there – twenty minutes? Two hours? But eventually it’s too much. He needs to get out. But he has to get out of the room in one fluid movement – he can’t stay too long in the open darkness. He springs out of bed, down the ladder, flings open the door. The hall is dark too. Nursey rushes to the light switch and flicks it. Brightness floods the landing and Nursey’s chest, and he sinks to the floor, exhausted.

He’s still shaking. He holds his arms and rocks back and forth, willing himself to calm down, you’re safe now, it’s alright, calm down. After what feels like an hour, the shakes gradually come to a stop, and Nursey is sitting alone on the landing, weighing his options.

He can’t go back in the room. He won’t. But what will he do for the rest of the year? Move back into the student dorms? How will he explain that to Dex? The dude will think it’s his fault. The friendship that had finally started to bloom between them will be cut off at the stem.

 _You could tell him,_ says a warm voice at the back of his mind. Nursey instantly shuts it out. No way. He is _not_ in the mood to be laughed at for a fear he should have grown out of when he was ten. The team cannot find out about this. Especially Dex.

Nursey’s thoughts are still churning when his bedroom door opens. Shit. Dex is rubbing his eyes, scrunching his nose up in the way he does when he’s confused. It’s sort of cute, but Nursey shakes _that_ thought off as disorientation because he’s so tired. Dex’s over-sized t-shirt hangs off his shoulders and reads _Sorry I’m late, I didn’t want to be here_ (a birthday present off Chowder).

“Nurse?” he mumbles sleepily.

“Hey.” Nursey answers dumbly, as if it is common occurrence for Dex to find his roommate curled up on the landing at 2am.

“What are you doing out here?”

“I-uh, like to sit out here sometimes. It’s comfy.” That is an outright lie and Dex knows it. The hardwood floor of the haus is the most butt-destroying surface in the history of ever. His voice is shaky and betrays the fear built up in Nursey’s lungs.

Dex approaches slowly, cautiously, as if Nursey were a frightened cat. “Nurse?” he starts, “Are you afraid of the dark?”

Well, shit.

Nursey puts his forehead on his knees and says nothing. The secret’s out, he’s just waiting now for Dex to run and wake everyone to tell them. Instead, he’s aware of Dex sitting down and leaning against the wall opposite him. He looks up. Dex’s face is a picture of concern, sleepiness gone, brows knitted together.

“Aren’t you gonna tell everyone?” says Nursey. Dex looks surprised.

“What? Why would I do that?” he says, “This is your business. Besides, you think Bitty’s gonna thank me for waking him in the middle of the night to tell him you’re scared of the dark?”

Nursey’s huffs a laugh. “S’pose not.” His cheeks are burning in embarrassment, and Dex tilts his head.

“But, what about all those times you’d sit on the roof during kegsters? It was dark then.”

Nursey shrugs. “Lights were on in the Haus. I was drunk. Plus, I like the stars. Only part of the dark I ever liked.” He doesn’t know why he’s saying this shit. He puts his head back on his knees.  

“It’s okay, Nursey.” Dex murmurs simply.

Nursey shakes his head. “Don’t be stupid. This is kid stuff. It’s- it’s” his voice shakes again; he can’t find the words.

“You didn’t think it was kid’s stuff when Chowder told us he was afraid of clowns.” Dex counters gently. “Bitty’s afraid of spiders.” He pauses, “And doing his schoolwork.”

Nursey laughs as Dex continues.

“It’s not kid’s stuff. Everyone’s afraid of something. And that’s okay.”

His words are simple, but his face is earnest. Nursey’s chest warms.

“What’re you scared of?” he asks him.

Dex’s smile is soft. “Thunder.”

“Really?” Nursey can’t imagine tall, strong Dex, being afraid of such a thing. But then, he supposes Dex wouldn’t have thought Nursey was scared of the dark.

“Yeah. Chowder knows. We lived in the same block freshman year, and I was round his when there was a thunderstorm. I just about cried. He always found excuses to come round to my room whenever there was a storm forecast after that.”

Nursey stares at him. He can’t believe Dex is sitting here, telling him – _trusting_ him – with something so personal. The world has turned upside down.

“Um,” he mumbles, “Most people always told me there was nothing to be afraid of.”

Dex shrugs. “The dark can be creepy. I get that. But it’s really cool too. Did you know there’s this plant, _ipomoea_ – moon flowers – that bloom only at night? They come out in moonlight and close during the day.”

His freckled face is animated, excited. Nursey has barely seen him like this. He raises his eyebrows and Dex blushes.

“I, uh, really like gardening. I used to want to be a botanist when I was a kid.”

“Nah, man that’s really cool.” Nursey smiles when Dex’s face brightens.

“Yeah? Well my point is, darkness isn’t all bad. But I get it, so I’m gonna stay with you, okay?”

Nursey nods, his body warmer with every smile Dex gives him.

They stay there, on the hard floor, until the sun comes up around half past 4. Dex likes the Beatles and superhero comics. His favourite plant is lavender. Nursey had no idea.

*

They don’t talk about the previous night. Nursey isn’t keen to. It was nice, Dex telling him stories to keep him from straying back into his fear. But he doesn’t want to be reminded of his embarrassment. He and Dex share small, tired smiles in the morning, but that’s it.

After practice, Dex and Bitty disappear for most of the afternoon.

Nursey thinks nothing of it until shortly before dinner, Dex calls down the stairs; “Hey, Nursey. Come up here a sec, will ya?”

In the kitchen, Bitty is laying plates. He gives Nursey a small wink through the doorway.

Dex is leaning against the wall outside their room. He looks restless, rocking back and forth on his heels. “Hey. Got a surprise for you.”

“Okay?”

“Close your eyes.”

“Dex, what kind of dumb shit-“

“Godammit Nurse, will you just trust me? Close your eyes.”

Nurse complies, and he jumps when Dex’s hand closes around his wrist to lead him through the door. He almost misses the contact when he pulls away.

“Alright.” Dex’s voice is soft. “Open your eyes, Nurse.”

Nursey does, and his breath catches in this throat.

Their little bedroom is bathed in warm golden light. Fairy lights loop over the railings of the top bunk, trailing loosely down to the bottom bunk. The whole bed is swathed in a gentle yellow flicker.

“Dex, I-“ Nursey begins, but he doesn’t know how he’ll finish his sentence.

“Wait, wait, there’s more!” Dex says. He looks so excited. He puts his hand on Nursey’s arm. “Don’t freak out okay? I’m gonna switch these off.”

Nursey takes a shuddering breath, but nods. He’s scared, but with Dex’s hand on his arm, it’s not quite so bad.

The fairy lights go out, but the room isn’t dark. Instead, hundreds of tiny stars cast a green glow over the room. They’re arranged in clusters, constellations mapped out on their small Haus ceiling. Nursey can’t breathe, but its not from fear.

“That’s where you and Bitty went.” He manages. Dex is watching him, gauging his reaction.

“Yeah,” he answers, switching the fairy lights back on, “I didn’t tell him, by the way. I just said I wanted to do something nice, and he agreed to help me make them look… pretty.”

In the soft light, Nursey swears Dex is blushing. His brown eyes look warmer than usual. His freckles are bathed in gold. His nose is all scrunched up. It’s a nice look on him.

“Dex,” Nursey says earnestly, “Thank you.”

He shrugs. “It wasn’t much.”

“No,” Nursey insists, “It was a lot. Thanks.”

Dex’s smile is the brightest thing in the room, and it’s all Nursey can think about as he goes to bed later that evening. For the first time, he turns off the light with ease, and as he stares up at the glowing Ursa Major above his head and listens to Dex’s deep breaths below him, his only thought is:

_Shit._

**Author's Note:**

> [I have a tumblr come look at my stuff](https://dozierosieposie.tumblr.com/)  
> 


End file.
